Rifle.



No. 662,068. Patented Nov. 20, I900.

C. J. &. C. HAMILTON. RIFLE.

(Application filed Nov. 7, 1898.)

(No Model.) 2 Shee ts-Sheet l.

wlrzvssss I uvvj lymm MI Maw kw w "No. 662,068. Patented Nov. 20, 1900.

C. J. 8:. C. HAMlLTON.

RIFLE.

(Appl ication filed Nov. 7, 1898.. (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

CLARENCE J. HAMILTON AND COELLO HAMILTON, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

RIFLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 662.068, dated November Application filed November 7, 1898. Serial No. 695,660. (No modelJ To all whom it nutty concern:

Be itknown that We, CLARENCE J. HAMIL- TON and CoELLo HAMILTON, citizens of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Rides; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such-as will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to firearm construction; and its object is to provide a rifle for shooting small cartridges, such rifle to have the cheapness of a pistol with a short barrel and the advantages of a rifle with a long barrel.

Our invention is shown inthe accompany.- ing drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the form-,and details of the construction of the gu Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing the details of the trigger mechanism. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section showing the manner of mounting the rifle-barrel on the frame and the means for opening the barrel to allow for the discharge of the shell an'dinsertion of the cartridges, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing the shell-ejector.

Our design is, to construct the stock and frame of the gun in skeleton form, and in the drawings we show the upper portion of the frame and st ck formed of one continuous rod A. This rodextends the full length of the gun, and from the point a it is bent downward and formed in outline, like the upper edge or outline of an ordinary gun-stock, and at the butt enters and is engaged with the butt-plate'B. metal and formed to fit the shoulder, like the butt of an ordinary stock. The lower section of the frame is made intwo pieces G, that extend from the butt-plate forward to the trigger mechanism and the section 0, that extends forward from the trigger mechanism to the binder c, that unites the frame and the barrel. The upper and lower sections of the frame are connected a short distance forward of the trigger by the binder c.

D is the rifle-barrel, which we preferably This butt-plate is made of castfrom and is allowed-aside or rotary movement thereon. The binder c is also provided with the sleeves c and 0 by means of which it is 'makeabouteightinchesin length. Thisbarrel isconnected at the rear end in asleeve or connected with the upper and lower sections of the frame and in connection with the binder a, similarly constructed, provides the means for spacing the sections of the frame apart and of holding them in their proper relative osit-ion. The forward face of the binder c and the rear face of the sleeve d are milled to provide a truecoutact-surface between them and to close the barrel, the binder 0 serving as the breech-block. To force the breech-piece d more firmly against the binder c,the lower section 0 of the frame is extended forward and provided with a thread (1 on whichis run the thumb-nut a The breech.- piece dextends downward asu fficient distance to pass between the nuta and the sleeye c on the binder c and against which the thumb-nut can be forced when the barrel is closed. To open the bar 'el, the thumb nut is given a partial turn and the barrel forced to one side,

leaving the breech exposed. d is an ejector pivoted in the breech, by

means of which the shell is extracted when the barrel is open. The forward sight for therifl'e is cast with the sleeve d 1 The trigger mechanism consists of a casting E, inserted in the line of the lower section of the frame, and the trigger-guard e is formed from asmall wire or rod and soldered or brazed to the casting E. The casing for the trigger mechanism is shown at e and consists of a piece of sheet metal formed over a mandrel and the sides separated to fit an opening in the casting E. The firing-pin F extends from the trigger mechanism, forward through the binders c and 0, beyond which it enters the breech of the barrel. The rear end of the firiu'g pin or rod reciprocates within the casing of the trigger mechanism and is provided within the casing with a groove f, which extends entirely around the rod. The trigger mechanism consists of the dog a pivoted on the pin e, which dog is adapted to engage at its forward end with the annular groove in the firing rod or pin. The trigger e is pivoted within the case, and when the dog 6 is engaged with the firing pin or rod the upper extension 6 of the trigger comes under the point of the dog and holds it in engagement with the rod. The construction of the two parts is such that the force tending to disengage the dog from the firing-rod will be directlyon a line through the pivot of the trigger, and the mechanism locked, so that it cannot become disengaged except by moving the lower end of the trigger backward, as in firing the gun. This construction is of particular value for the reason that it formsa look as distinguished from a construction that holds the parts by the force of a spring or their friction. The spring 2 is placed between the dog and the trigger and tends to throw the dog upward into engagementwith the rod and to throw the upper endof the trigger to the rear into engagement with the (legend into the locked position.

F is a coil-spring mounted on the firingrod, withthe rear end'abutting against the casing of the trigger mechanism and the forward end against the thumb-nut e rigidly attached to the rod. This nut is made of suflicient size to extend outside of the frame and pro vides means for drawing back the firing rod or pin.

G is a peep-sight formed from sheetmetal and adapted to embrace the frame, as shown in the drawings. This sight can be adjusted readily up and down on a frame or to one side when the gun is sighted. v a

What we claim is- 1. In a rifle construction, the combination of the skeleton frame, consisting of the upper and lower sections,the upper section provided with an extension beyond the end of the lower section, a breech-block uniting the sections at the end of the lower section, and a rifle-barrel suspended from the upper section-and arranged to swing into contact with the breechblock, substantially as described.

2. In a rifle construction the combination of the skeleton frame, the forward extension of the upper section of the frame, the riflebarrel suspended from the extension, the firing-rod lying between the sections of the frame and means for locking the suspended barrel and for operating the firing-rod, substantially as described.

3. In gun construction, the combination of the frame-piece E, provided with a vertical slot, the U-shaped metal case adapted to be seated in the slot, and the trigger mechanism mounted in the U-shaped case independent of the frame, substantially as described.

4. In gun construction the combination of the frame, the sheetvmet-al case adapted to be entered in the frame, means for supporting the case in the frame and the trigger and dog mounted in said cas substantially as described. v

5. The combination of the skeleton frame, the upper section of said frame having'a forward extension on which to suspend the riflebarrel, the rifle-barrel suspended therefrom, the breech-block o and means for forcing the breech end of the barrel against thebinder to close the same, substantiallyas described.

6. The combination of the skeleton frame, the forward extension of the upper section of the frame, the breech-block c, the rifle-barrel, the breech-piece 01 having a downward extension and the set-nut a on the lower section of the frame to lock the breech-piece against the bi nder, substantially as described.

7. The combination of the skeleton frame having the forward extension of the upper section, the rifle-barrel suspended therefrom, the breech-block c, the breech-piece d, and the ejector d substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses. 

